


Season 5 Episode 7

by lotorslance



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lancelot - Freeform, Langst, M/M, One-sided Lance/Allura, Soft Lancelot, contains season 5 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 03:22:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotorslance/pseuds/lotorslance
Summary: Lance finds an upset Lotor the night after they visit Oriande and comforts him in Lance-like fashion. Takes place immediately after S5E6.





	Season 5 Episode 7

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains onesided Allurance, implied endgame Lancelot, and spoilers for season 5.

Whenever he couldn’t sleep, Lance made his way to the bridge and stared out at the stars as they slowly drifted by.  
  
They were too far away from Earth to recognize any constellations and honestly, Lance had began to forget them, but they looked similar and that was enough for him to find comfort in.  
  
However, when the door to the bridge whirred open he found someone else already near his usual spot.  
  
_Lotor._  
  
Lance’s face scrunched up in disgust, irritated that _he,_ of _all_ people, was in _his_ stargazing spot. He was really going to tell _him_ off! Pushing up the sleeves of his sleeping tunic, he stomped forward before pausing mid-step, knee still up in the air as he realized:  
  
_Was that a tear?_  
  
A tiny, glimmering bead rolled down his lilac cheek and it would’ve been so easy to miss if the light of the stars hadn’t caught it just right.  
  
Suddenly, Lance felt like he was intruding: even just the idea of Lotor, _Prince_ Lotor, _Emperor_ Lotor, crying…it didn’t seem right. He was always so calm and composed, _eerily so,_ but yet he hadn’t even seemed to notice Lance’s presence.  
  
Changing his approach, Lance slowly slid next to Lotor on the teledauv’s platform. “Hey man—“  
  
Lotor shot him such a sudden, frightening glare that Lance squeaked, jumping back, holding his arms up in defense, but almost immediately, the Emperor’s expression softened and he turned away, wiping away his tears with a gloved finger.  
  
“Lance.” Was all he replied, and the way he near-whispered it was almost apologetic.  
  
He must’ve startled him. How deep in to his thoughts was he that he hadn’t heard him coming in?  
  
Lance said nothing, trying to make sense of this very strange situation but Lotor broke the silence only a few moments later: “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Um…,” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to look away and instead focused on the stars as he’d initially intended. The last thing he really wanted to do was confide in Allura’s new Prince Charming about how upset he was about… _him._ Not only would it be incredibly awkward, but it’d be showing weakness to someone who, despite everything at Oriande, was still very untrustworthy—to Lance, at least. _Clearly,_ Allura felt different.  
  
His heart sank further, brows knit upwards as he fought for the right words to say, vague enough not to give away his feelings (as if he wasn’t already an open book), but satisfying enough so that he wouldn’t dig further. “I couldn’t sleep.”  
  
“I share that sentiment. I cannot help but consider the quintant’s events. I was so close…”  
  
“Uh…what exactly happened in there, anyway?”  
  
Lotor shook his head with a little sigh, exhaling through his nose as he leaned back on his palms, staring out at the stars. Lance subconsciously mimicked his position, body relaxing just a bit more.  
  
“All these years…my life’s work. I saw it crumble before of my eyes. The Guardian—”  
  
“Look, some _fairy tale_ lion can’t _ruin_ your _‘life’s work.'_ ”  
  
Lotor’s lips upturned in a sad sort of smile and he just shook his head once more. “If only it’d been a fairy tale.”  
  
“Can’t you just be happy for Allura?” Lance chided, fighting the urge to look over at Lotor and watch his expression. Usually he remained so monotonous, but tonight, when they were alone, he’d already shown Lance many sides of himself which was…unexpectedly, somehow, actually sort of pleasant. He seemed much more _real_ this way.  
  
“That I am,” he answered, no hint of happiness in his tone whatsoever, “but perhaps my father was correct—I’m nothing but a disappointment, both to my Empire and my Altean ancestors.”  
  
The Paladin’s mouth fell open and he was about to retort, but then he closed it as he stopped to think over what he’d just heard.  
  
More than anything, Lance understood what it meant to live in someone’s shadow, to always be in second place. It was a reoccurring theme throughout his entire life from childhood and it’d only perpetuated when he’d gone out to space on this whole crazy journey. But he thought he’d finally been finding his own place, both on the team and among his friends: then Lotor came and everything had been turned on its head. He’d seemingly lost Allura (at least, it felt like that to him) and Shiro was less than pleased with him lately.  
  
Lotor was just another person who was setting Lance back, keeping him away from all the trophies he’d been working so hard to snatch.  
  
His eyes widened in realization—was that what Lotor was feeling? His lips moved as if his consciousness was tugging the words from deep within him, saying the things he knew he should say rather than what he wanted to say: “I don’t think you’re a disappointment.”    
  
Lotor turned to face him and this time Lance met his gaze, their blue eyes now interlocked. He didn’t blink, didn’t look away—he was facing him and all his pent-up anger and frustration head on, now.  
  
“You’ve done a lot for the coalition, you’ve done a lot for the Empire and you’ve done a lot for us. For _Allura_ , especially…and honestly, I should be thanking you for that.” His nose suddenly began to sting and he realized he was tearing up but he fought his pride, egging him to turn away and kept staring straight ahead into those stern eyes. “So don’t feel like you’re not appreciated, or whatever. ‘Cause that’s a horrible way to feel. Besides, don’t you think everything happens for a reason? Fate?”  
  
The other said nothing and Lance finally had to blink back the tears, eyelashes rapidly working to try and swipe them up to no avail. He finally turned away, rubbing them off his now heated skin with the back of his hand. He hated crying in front of people, especially someone like Lotor, but he’d essentially lost control over his emotions a long time ago.  
  
“Like, I dunno…maybe I couldn’t sleep so I could find you here and tell you something you needed to hear.”  
  
“Perhaps you’re correct.”  
  
Lance chuckled darkly, shaking his head, sliding his Blue Lion slippers across the sleek surface of the ship’s flooring. “It’s been forever since someone told me I was right.” He couldn’t even hide the self-loathing from his tone, bitterness seeping from his very being, as it had since Lotor’d first arrived and won both Allura and Shiro over. “But yeah. Thanks, I guess.”  
  
“Why are you crying?”  
  
Lance glanced over and—whoa, when did he get so close? Their legs were almost pressing against one another…if he were to just…let his leg fall to the side, like so…  
  
He relaxed his thigh, knee bumping up against Lotor's. He couldn’t fight back the goosebumps raising over his skin, nor the way his heart’s rate began to pick up. It’d been a long time since he was this close to anyone…  
  
Lotor’s brow furrowed, his head tilted to the side in confusion as his ears twitched in response to the sudden noise filling them. The human's reaction was rather confusing, and he could hear the beat of his heart reverberating through their silence. “Are you afraid of me?”  
  
“N- _No!”_ Lance spat and he turned away, readjusting himself so his legs were pressed tight together, now a couple inches away from Lotor. How much did this guy want to ruin his life? First he stole the girl of his dreams’ heart, now he was humiliating him. As if _he’d_ be scared of someone like _him…_  
  
“Why is your heart so noisy?”  
  
With a couple of sniffs, Lance wiped off his face and willed his heart to stop—stop, darnit!—thumping so hard in his chest. “I dunno. But it’s none of your business even if I did!”  
  
“It seems your mouth is just as loud…”  
  
“Whatever, loser!” Lance rose to his feet, crossing his arms tight across his chest. He ignored how empty and cold it felt, without Lotor's body heat mingling among his own. “I’m going back to bed.”  
  
“Pity, I’ve found stunning sights such as the stars are much more gratifying when one has company.”  
  
He blinked slowly, a final stray tear slipping past his lashes and with a huff, he plopped back down next to Lotor, watching the sparkling lights float on by, this time letting his knee press up against Lotor's without any hesitation.

Perhaps sharing his spot wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
